A drop cable is an electrical assembly of an electrical cable and an electrical connector that facilitates electrical connection of the cable to a work station. The other end of the drop cable can be provided with another electrical connector for disconnect connection to a coaxial communications cable of a communications network. Alternatively, the other end of the drop cable can be wired directly to a coaxial communications cable to provide the connection. The drop cable provides a link between the work station and the network, whether the drop cable is directly wired to the network or is connected by an electrical connector to the network.
In one form of a network, a single coaxial cable has sufficient capacity to transmit communications signals at relatively low speed and with a low bandwidth. Each work station to be linked to the network is provided with an ordinary single coaxial jack connector through which network communications signals are both transmitted and received, and to which a drop cable must be coupled, thus to link the work station to the network. The single coaxial jack connector is commonly used to connect a single coaxial cable as a drop cable.
Not all networks make use of a single coaxial cable as a drop cable. Some networks require that a drop cable provide two separate coaxial transmission lines, one to transmit communications signals and one to receive communications signals. If a network requires a drop cable different from a single coaxial cable, the coaxial jack connector on the work station is usually of no use. The problem presented, is to adapt a drop cable of a communications network for coupling or connection with an ordinary coaxial jack connector supplied with a typical work station. Further, there is a need for a drop cable that incorporates two separate coaxial transmission lines and a drain wire, and is constructed for connection with a single coaxial plug connector. By combining the two transmission lines into a common cable jacket, the number of cables exposed to view can be reduced. Further, the cable is structured to incorporate a drain wire for connection to electrical ground potential or to some other reference electrical potential.